


Warm

by LegolasLovely



Category: Young Hercules
Genre: Angst, Archery, Blood and Gore, Fire, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Major Character Injury, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:40:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22939570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegolasLovely/pseuds/LegolasLovely
Summary: (Y/N) sacrifices herself to save Iolaus and the boys have to find her and save her.
Relationships: Iolaus/Original Female Character(s), Iolaus/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Warm

(Y/N) turned the crisp page of the herb and spice book she’d borrowed from Fiducious and reveled a bit in the scent that rose to her nose. After a bustling week of exams, drills and lessons, she finally had a few hours to herself to relax. She easily ignored the stiff golden twigs of hay poking into her neck as she lay in the silent loft of the barn. This was her hiding place where she planned to stay until she was so ravenous, her growling stomach forced her to walk to Kora’s for a well deserved treat. Or maybe she’d bargain with Iolaus to bring her something that would stick to her bones for the rest of the day. She turned the next page in the thick book.

“(Y/N)! (Y/N), are you in here?”

She groaned when she recognized Jason’s voice. Closing the book and rolling to the edge of the loft, she said, “Yes, I’m here.” She straightened when she saw sweat glistening over his forehead and neck. It seemed to magnify the red marks on his arms and knuckles that would soon develop into blue and purple bruises. “What’s happened?”

Around heavy breaths, he said, “Iolaus. Ares has Iolaus.”

The herbs and spice book was forgotten in the hay as she climbed down the ladder to the floor. In her rising panic, her foot missed one of the rungs and she hung by her hands for a moment before she leapt to the ground. “Are you okay?” she asked Jason. When he nodded wildly, she asked where Hercules was.

“Trying to find Chieron,” he said.

She shook her head, dashing to the south side of the barn where some of the cadets’ weapons were stored. “He has yet to return. Fiducious said he’ll be here for lessons tomorrow, but not before.” She threw her quiver over her shoulder, tightening the strap at her chest before grabbing her bow. Jason followed her out of the barn and called for Hercules who was soon running to their side.

“Tell me what happened,” (Y/N) said to Hercules. She took his hand and examined the blood over his knuckles. He ripped it away.

“I’m fine,” he said. “Strife and Discord, they lured him into a trap. They’re trying to get to me.”

“Where are they?” she asked, turning to the horses outside the stables. She flung a set of reins off a post and lifted them over one of the mare’s ears. 

“Hephaestus’ old cave. Where he stayed before he found the forge. Those are Chieron’s horses, what are you doing?” Hercules said, watching (Y/N) leap to the mare’s bare back.

The horse backtracked in apprehension, able to feel the distress in her rider. (Y/N) skillfully circled the post as she spoke. “I think he’d understand our borrowing them to save one of his cadets from the god of war.” She nudged the mare’s barreled stomach with her heel, but Hercules grabbed the reins. 

“(Y/N), just-just wait. We don’t have a plan-”

“We don’t have time to stand around and make plans!”

“One of your arrows won’t stop Ares,” Jason said.

“What are you going to do?” Hercules asked.

She whipped the reins out of his hand. “I’ll figure it out when I get there.” She yelled to the horse and squeezed her thighs around the healthy body until thundering hooves blocked out her friend’s protests. 

Her mind was blank as she rode through the forest. The wind played with her braided hair and bit at her bare fingers as she expertly weaved her steed through the winding trees, struggling to keep her balance on the bare, speeding horse. She dug her heels under the mare’s belly as she leapt over a fallen log and slowed suddenly to turn and leave her rider near the dark, stone cave. (Y/N) slid off, feeling her knees buckle as she hit the ground. She steadied herself, ran a hand over the mare’s neck and slapped her hind quarters, sending her back to the academy.

(Y/N) slid an arrow from the quiver over her shoulder and readied herself to fire. The ground was soft underfoot and she silently toed to the entrance of the cave where she crouched and peered into the darkness. She heard Ares before she saw him. 

“That little twerp is going to lead my half-brother right to us,” he said.

Strife was in the cave as well, (Y/N) recognized his high whine. “And then you’re gonna kill him!”

“No! You idiot.” 

(Y/N) barely heard what Ares said next, but she guessed it was some kind of threat mixed with a half-witted plan that wouldn’t go well. His voice continued to rumble and she took this chance to creep further into the cave. With her back to the stone, she peeked over her shoulder and winced once her eyes adjusted to the bright light shining from the ceiling in the center of the cavern.

There was Iolaus, drenched in sweat, grime and bruises. He dangled by the chains which were wrapped too tightly around his wrists, toes barely touching the stone ground. The bright light shone over his golden hair that covered his face as he leaned forward, exhausted and afraid. Helpless.

“We have a visitor,” Ares said.

The utter rage in (Y/N)’s veins was replaced by electricity, excruciating and scalding. Her limbs were thrust straight out from her body as she was lifted into the air by Ares’ power. It took all her strength to hold onto her bow as he brought her further into the cave and closer to him. One by one, her fingers flew open until only her thumb and forefinger grasped her weapon. 

“This is not who I was expecting,” Ares said, perfect white teeth bared and shining. 

Distantly, (Y/N) heard Iolaus say her name. His voice was thick with disbelief and weakness and it shot even more pain through her chest. Unable to move her body, she watched him out of her peripheral. As her strength was being drained, his was returning. His eyes burned with defiance and he wriggled and yanked at his bonds, renewed hope dancing in his features.

“Let her go!” he yelled.

Ares shook his head, rolling his eyes at Strife’s maniacal laughter. “This is too much fun.”

(Y/N) snarled through her clenched jaw, trying to pull her limbs back into her body. It was as if her hands were magnetically opposed to each other. She felt her muscles strain and tendons tear, tears welled in her eyes, but she managed to nock her arrow. Stretch, aim, loose, then straight into Ares’ hand. The electricity shocked through her anew before she landed on the ground with a hard thud, his power draining from her as he tore her arrow from his godly hand. He bared his teeth once more, this time without a smile. 

“How _dare_ you!” He bellowed, throwing his arms back before sending his power her way again. She dodged the blue lightening, rolling to the ground and back to her feet. Again, he shot his storm toward her, but this time, she was shielded. 

“You were supposed to wait for us,” Hercules said from her side as he blocked Ares’ blow with his wooden shield from the academy. 

“Come on, Herc,” she said with a smirk. “I wait for no man.”

“Time, tide and (Y/N).”

A harsh blow sent the shield hurdling into the pair. They flew through the air until their backs crashed against the stone wall of the cave. (Y/N) gripped her ribs, gasping for air with flattened lungs. Through the tears in her eyes, she could see Iolaus frantically pulling at his chains. She darted to him, bent over for lack of air and dodging the flying blows from Ares as he fended off both Hercules’ and Jason’s attacks. 

When (Y/N) reached Iolaus, her hands found his sides, his arms, his chest, anything she could touch to comfort him. “Iolaus-” She hissed at the pain in her shoulder as she reached for the chains.

“Are you all right?” he asked, brows glued together and dimples showing in a wince of concern.

“Me? Just fine. Are you?”

He scoffed. “Just fine.”

She bit back another sharp, pained inhale and examined the lock above his head. “Can’t let you out of my sight for a moment, can I?”

“Let me guess, you were reading? Sorry to have disturbed you.”

“You owe me.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” He was smirking at her as if they were in the barn of the academy instead of in a cave with a vengeful and violent god trying to kill them. The curve of his lips soon fell. “Herc!”

(Y/N) turned over her shoulder to see Hercules roll in pain on the hard floor of the cavern. Jason was lying unconscious on the north side near the entrance. 

“And now for the brat,” Ares said, chuckling wickedly before holding his sparking, blue hand in the air.

(Y/N) spun to face him, standing in front of Iolaus. She nocked an arrow and aimed straight for the god.

“You can’t beat me,” Ares said.

Hercules tried to stand and fell to the ground, clutching his side with a bleeding hand. She was alone now, except for the suspended prisoner behind her. She retreated until her aching arm met Iolaus’ chest- solid and warm.

“Then let me take his place,” she said.

Iolaus roared. 

She dropped her weapon, wincing as her muscles twitched and shifted.

Ares grinned. “What a good little girl.” He snapped his fingers and Iolaus’ chains rang out as they dropped to the stone below her feet. 

She whirled, catching Iolaus’ chest as he fell to the floor. Shining metal shackles appeared around her own wrists and she yanked her hands from his vest, out of his view.

“You can’t do this,” he said.

She smiled. “It’s already done.” She blinked, frustrated at her brimming eyes. “And besides, you’ll find me.”

“No one will find you where I’m taking you,”Ares said, but (Y/N)’s eyes never left Iolaus’.

He shook his head, golden curls shaking about. “(Y/N)-”

She lifted her fingers to his smooth jaw, ignoring the clinking chains. “You’ll find me.” 

“How do you know I’ll be able to?”

“Because I refuse to live a life without you in it.” 

She kissed him. He fell into it as if being suspended for that long affected his sense of gravity and he was being pulled by a new force. Something warm and soft and safe. (Y/N). He hated himself for closing his eyes because when he opened them, she was gone.

***

(Y/N) was also alone when she opened her eyes. All she could see was a galaxy of black. It took long moments for her eyes to adjust from Iolaus’ bright blue gaze and golden waves to the extreme darkness that now lie in front of her like a bottomless pit. She shifted against the heavy chains over her wrists and the metal glinted and clinked as she moved. A hiss escaped her when her back collided with what she guessed was stone. It was scalding hot, leaving sizzling skin in its wake. Tiny embryos of dread and panic grew into slithering demons that controlled her every thought as sweat dripped down her face and gathered in the hollow of her neck and the small of her back. Could Ares… did he actually have the power to bring her to Tartarus?

Her stomach flipped, begging to jump from her throat and escape, leaving her alone in this underworld. The already low hopes she had simmered to nothing. If she was in Tartarus, no one could save her, not even Zeus himself. She squeezed her fingers together, clicking the nails anxiously to stop her tears from catching in her throat. She couldn’t loose what water she had to useless tears. 

It was impossible to know how much time had passed- there wasn’t even a glimmer of light from the outside world- from any other world. She didn’t know if it was day or night, all she knew was that her exhausted, dehydrated body pushed her to lie down on the hot rock and sleep some time away. She rolled to her side, wincing at the shoulder injury she’d sustained trying to save Iolaus. Iolaus. 

She’d barely closed her eyes before cool hands were shaking her awake. “(Y/N)! Wake up.”

Her eyes snapped open, seeing first a glowing white smile and then brilliant blue eyes. She was lifted to her feet like a rag doll. “Iolaus?” She reached for his face. He was real.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” he said. He smiled at her like a machine.

“You- you found me,” she said. His arms were like ice around her despite the onyx fire roaring behind them. “You’ve come to get me? To get me out of here?” Her fingers ran over the oasis of his full lips and she marveled at their frozen texture. Tears of relief streamed down her cheeks. “You came for me.”

“No.”

“W-what?”

He took her chin. “No one’s come to save you because nobody _cares.”_ He grinned before his face froze blue with frost and cracked, shattering like glass and landing on her hands, cutting her. Wicked, thin fingers clamped onto her arms when she tried to run away. “They gave up on you. They will never find you.” Iolaus’ honeyed voice grew shrill with every word and his golden hair was scorched to black. 

“Strife,” (Y/N) spat. “Get away from me!”

With that, the god vanished but his maniacal cackling echoed off the stone around her as she curled into a ball and tried to think of the Iolaus she knew. 

***

Iolaus stared at the fingers he let (Y/N) slip through. He should have held on, sacrificed himself. He should have never left the academy that day. Then none of this would have happened, (Y/N) would be by his side as she always was. 

“She’s gone,” he said.

Hercules rolled off the ground and limped over to Jason who was finally coming around to consciousness. Harsh breaths and grunts echoed in the tavern as two glued themselves together and one fell further apart. 

“(Y/N)!” Iolaus screamed towards the sky with a force that burned his throat. “Bring her back! Come down here and fight me!” He picked up her bow and quiver, feeling where her hands had smoothed the wood about the grip. “Cowards! You’re all cowards!”

“Iolaus, we’ll get her back,” Hercules said with Jason leaning on his arm. 

“How? How do we even know where he took her? What he’s doing to her?” His voice shattered at the thought. He dashed out of the cave, ignoring his friends’ protests and the bright light that struck his eyes. “You had no right to take her!” he screamed. He looked to the bow in his hands- this thing that shouldn’t survive while she was gone. 

Footsteps from behind him pulled him from his thoughts. “Where’d he take her? Can’t you- you’re related, can’t you feel it or something?” he asked Hercules.

“He’s not telepathic, Iolaus,” Jason said. “And even if we knew where Ares went, how are we going to take down a god? It’s impossible.”

Hercules took the bow from Iolaus and studied it with narrow, judging eyes. “It might not be. Follow me.”

***

(Y/N) formed and slaughtered a hundred different escape plans as she sat in the burning darkness. The shackles around her wrists were her first obstacle. In her weakened state, she was unable to break them, unable now to even move them as uncounted hours passed without food or water. As long as she was chained to the rock around her, there was no hope of her escaping… Tartarus. She’d remember where she was and her plans would fizzle to nothing. No one could escape Tartarus. 

Then a soft _click, scrape_ of footsteps. This was new. Since she’d been left here, she’d only seen various forms of Strife and he made no sound when he appeared. Was this Ares? Finally coming to visit her and torture her like he did Iolaus? Until now, he was leaving her alone to starve and boil. Her eyes widened and worked to see through the thick darkness but she was too exhausted to move and change her fate.

“There she is,” she heard in the galaxy of black fire.

A last burst of adrenaline rushed through her when she saw him. Again. But, no, it was impossible. It was only Strife.

“(Y/N). You ready to get out of here?” Leather creaked and tan skin glowed as Iolaus reached out to her. No. _Strife_ reached out to her.

“Get away from me,” she growled.

“(Y/N)?” Jason asked.

Did Strife have the power to shapeshift into two different, complete people simultaneously? She studied Jason. He looked like himself, sounded like himself. But so did Iolaus, who was reaching for her hair. 

“I said _get away from me!”_ she screamed. A hand clamped over her mouth from behind and she bit down hard, drawing blood and a curse from Hercules. No. _Strife and Discord._ This was all their doing. “Don’t touch me, Strife!”

“If they hear her, the plan’s ruined,” Hercules said.

She cowered from them, her chest heaving. Just as she was about to scream again, Iolaus took her shoulders. “It’s me, (Y/N). It’s Iolaus. I’m not Strife, we’re not here to trick you. We’re here to rescue you.”

“No. No one cares to- he said no one cares.”

“I care. We all care. Look at me, (Y/N).” He was smiling at her. It was different from Strife’s magic, mechanical grin. “It’s me,” he said, placing a warm kiss between her brows. 

Metal shattered behind her. “I got it,” Hercules said, holding the chains he’d ripped free from the rock that kept (Y/N) prisoner. “Let’s get her out of here.” He lifted her shackled hands, looping her arms around Iolaus’ neck so he could carry her.

“But we’re- how did you get here?” she asked, leaning her forehead against Iolaus’ neck that was hot and dripping with sweat- just as he should be. “How did you get to Tartarus? You didn’t-”

“We’re not in Tartarus, (Y/N). We’re in one of Morpheus’ dream worlds.” Iolaus stood, following Hercules and whispering, “We only have to get far enough away from Ares before Chieron will guide us back the way he did with Herc before, remember?”

She hummed, the sound losing pitch and breath. He felt the hot chains against his neck as her arms fell slack around him.

“Herc. Herc, we gotta get her out of here. She’s… we’re losing her.”

Hercules’ hand landed on her back that was soaked through. “We’ll get her out in time. Follow the plan.”

The three rescuers shared a look and a nod before Hercules led the cavalcade through the darkness. Iolaus, in the middle of Hercules and Jason, lost sight of their leader once he was out of arm’s reach. He focused, listening for the soft clink of Hercules’ belt to follow, the soft scrape of Jason’s shoes behind him, and the shallow, labored breaths of the one in his arms. _Stay with me, (Y/N), come on,_ he chanted in his head, not daring to say it aloud, should Ares hear him and their plan be ruined.

The black nothing in front of Iolaus turned into glowing blond hair and a red vest when Hercules halted with a stuck out hand. Then he motioned, waved, and crept along the rock, careful not to touch the scalding surface. They were inching ever closer to the center of the burning underworld. Jason’s hand reached forward until Hercules looked back to receive his questioning eyes. Hercules only nodded. This was where they needed to be.

Iolaus diligently followed, the fury churning in his gut giving him the strength to hold onto (Y/N) despite his aching arms and the sweat beading and pooling in the corners of his eyes. There had been only a few hours between him losing (Y/N) and finding her again, and that was all it took for Ares’ torture to possibly take her life. She grew limp in his arms, as if her bones were melting in the heat. He chanced a quick look and winced at her hallowed cheeks and eyes and yearned to see her smiling at him again.

Once more, Hercules stopped. He turned with wide eyes. This was it. If the four of them could stay hidden here, in the epicenter, Chieron could guide them out of the dream world of Tartarus and back to the Academy. Hercules was the only one who’d done something similar before when Ares first brought him and the cadets to one of Morpheus’ dream worlds. However, the plan was for him to escape last. He set a hand on (Y/N)’s shoulder and nodded to Iolaus.

“You have to be calm and relaxed in order to receive Chieron,” Hercules had told him before they left the academy. “Jason and I will be there to guard you as Chieron guides you through the dream worlds.” _Close your eyes. Be calm and relaxed. Listen._

Iolaus did as he was told. He forgot about the impending danger, the gods, the dream worlds. He concentrated on the weight of (Y/N) in his arms, her heat, her smile, her quips, her sacrifice. Distantly, he heard Chieron’s low, smooth voice calling his name. The intense heat of the onyx blaze started to cool, like clusters of clouds licking and kissing his skin, carrying him away. 

“Iolaus,” he heard. “Come this way. Iolaus. Iolaus. Just who I wanted to see. Just who I wanted to see. Iolaus.”

But he was pushed, shoved into the sweltering rock behind him and he felt his back sizzle and burn. He hissed, wrenching open his eyes. He was still in the dream world of Tartarus, and so was (Y/N). Bright blue light blinded him, until Ares came into view.

“Just who I wanted to see! Baby brother came to save his girl.”

Iolaus growled at that and squeezed _his_ girl in his arms. 

“She has nothing to do with this. You want me. Let them go,” Hercules said, putting himself between Ares and Iolaus. 

“She gave herself to me. Voluntarily, might I add. She seemed quite excited to get away from you.” Ares laid out a hand that sparkled and danced with electric power. “We had fun with her, didn’t we Strife?”

The pale, lesser god materialized beside Iolaus with a loud, descending cackle. Thin fingers rolled down (Y/N)’s arm before Iolaus could yank her away and send a harsh kick into Strife’s side, forgetting the god would see it coming and disintegrate. Iolaus staggered until Jason caught him and steadied him. 

“They won’t get away with this,” Jason said lowly. 

“Actually, we will!” Ares said, sending a bolt of power shooting toward Hercules. The half god dodged it and rolled to Iolaus’ side, sending him and (Y/N) further into the epicenter. 

“Get to Chieron. All of you. This is between me and Ares.”

“No one else is sacrificing themselves today,” Iolaus growled, shrugging away Hercules’ strong hand. He glared at Strife who was floating in the corner, cool as ice, dancing and watching Ares as he summoned another ball of electricity. “Watch out, Herc!” Iolaus said, shoving Hercules out of the way of a hurdling blue globe with his shoulder.

He watched helplessly as Hercules ran and flipped out of the way of Ares’ hits. Every blow was focused to him, leaving Jason and Iolaus to carry out the rest of the plan.

“Give it to me,” Iolaus said to Jason. 

“You think you can do it?”

Iolaus passed the unconscious (Y/N) over to Jason who held her easily. “I know I can. She’s been giving me lessons,” Iolaus said, taking the bow off Jason’s shoulders and sliding a single arrow out of the quiver on his belt. Though he didn’t have time, Iolaus took a breath and ran his fingers through (Y/N)’s damp hair before he fell into his stance. 

Hercules was sent plummeting to the ground by one of Ares’ power balls. Strife was encouraged to giggle as Ares stalked closer to his brother, grinning and holding another threatening, life ending nest of fire. He kicked Hercules’ shoulder and he rolled on the ground in agony. 

“Gotcha, little bro.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Iolaus said, barely moving his lips so as not to alter the arrow he had aimed at Ares. He closed his left eye and inhaled deeply as (Y/N) taught him.

“Have you learned nothing today? You can’t kill a god with an arrow,” Strife said, laughing.

“Not with an ordinary arrow, no. But this arrow has been dipped in Hind’s blood. Which will kill a god. Slowly and painfully,” Iolaus said, thinking of (Y/N)’s voice telling him to push his palm into the bow.

“Oh. Well, that is something,” Strife said, patting his fingertips against his cheek in thought. “Bye Unc!” He called before he vanished completely. 

Ares’ brows fell lower with his nephew’s disappearing act. He glared at Iolaus with a glowing hand. “No one can kill a Hind and survive. Hera would eviscerate you before you could leave her forest.”

“You don’t need to kill a Hind in order to collect enough blood to soak an arrowhead,” Iolaus said, arm aching from the strain of the bow after carrying (Y/N) through the dream world. 

Hercules rolled and stood, grunting on his way up. “You only need a drop, really. And I happen to be friends with one of the only Golden Hind’s left in Hera’s forest.”

Ares stepped back, eyes flicking from Iolaus’ arrow to Hercules’ smirk. “I don’t believe you.”

Iolaus stalked forward, arrow poised to loose. “Do you want to test me?” he ground through his teeth.

The blue sparks in Ares’ hand dimmed until they were extinguished. He retreated, eyes boring like daggers into Hercules’ taunting face. “We’re not done here,” he said.

“We never are.”

Only when he was sure Ares was gone, Iolaus returned the arrow to Jason’s quiver and tucked the bow around his shoulders. “Let’s get her out of here. Chieron will know how to help her.”

***

“How did you find a Hind in time?” (Y/N) asked, tucked into one of the beds in the Academy’s infirmary with her friends huddled around her.

“We didn’t,” Jason said.

Her eyes blew as wide as shields. “You lied! You tricked the god of war?”

“We just really hoped he wouldn’t call our bluff,” Hercules said. 

“That’s brilliant!” she said. 

Her eyes were even more brilliant, Iolaus thought. She was weak and thin, having sweat away some of her weight in the dream underworld, but her eyes were as bright and shining as ever. He watched her, clean and pale, leaning back on the pillows behind her. The over sized tunic hanging off her was quite different from her usual leather vest, and he wondered if this was the first time he’d seen her hair out of a braid. He could only compare her to an angel. 

“It was all Iolaus’ idea,” Hercules said, bringing him out of his daze.

“Something that clever could only come from Iolaus’ head,” she said, her laugh weak.

“Clever and _conniving_ ,” Jason said. 

A familiar bell rang out, alerting the cadets to their dinner. Hercules and Jason stood. “We’ll bring you some popovers,” Hercules said to (Y/N), shooting a hand out to keep Iolaus where he was.

Iolaus nodded, listening to his friends’ footsteps clicking and fading until silence remained. He coughed and turned, realizing he was staring at (Y/N) and she had raised a brow against his intense gaze. He reached under the bench, wincing from the burn he’d received only hours before. “I brought you this,” he said.

“Ah, the book you interrupted me from,” she said with a smile. It fell when nothing she did cracked his stern countenance. 

He sighed, bunching her blanket in his hands. “I can’t help but be angry with you. You put yourself in _such_ danger-”

“I couldn’t stand by and let you suffer. Just the thought of it- it’s unbearable-”

“How do you think I felt when he took you away?” he yelled. He rocked on the bench, immediately regretting raising his voice at her. He wanted to give her space to heal and wrap her in his arms at the same time. She took his hand and his body fell still.

“I knew you’d find me,” she said.

“Well, you’re stuck with me now. I refuse to live a life without you in it.”

She sent him her usual smirk, but it grew into a wide smile that she tried to hide by turning her face away from him. He scoffed at her, proud of himself, and brought her hand to his lips. 

“It’s a good thing Ares didn’t call your bluff,” she said. “Even if you did have the Hind’s blood, you’d never hit your target with the way you lift your hand as you loose. I’ve told you, it sends the arrow to the left every ti-”

He set a knee on the bed and kissed her, sliding his fingers around the back of her neck to keep her close. He was warm- lips and hands, the way he should be.


End file.
